Hurricane Beta
September 23, 2005 11:58 AM   Subscribe

Hurricane Beta Coming Soon... Ever wondered how hurricanes are named? Here's a good explanation.
posted by grapefruitmoon (21 comments total)
 
See also Wikipedia's articles on the list of names for tropical storms around the world, and a list of notable tropical cyclones which includes those who were big and recent enough to get their name retired from the current lists, plus links to individual articles about many of them. This article talks about about the transition from the pre-1976 naming scheme to the current rotation.

We won't find out until next spring which storms were big enough to get their names retired this year, but since one of the retired ones killed as few as 4, I've got my hunch.
posted by mendel at 1:21 PM on September 23, 2005


I think it was Family Guy last weekend that had a quote from the newscaster: "As Hurricaine Ru-Paul moves him or herself up the coast..."
posted by thanotopsis at 1:22 PM on September 23, 2005


Thankfully they wont be inducting 'Nico' into the list anytime soon...it would really suck to be named Katrina right now...
posted by gren at 1:23 PM on September 23, 2005




Hurricane Scorpions*, anyone?

(*give it a minute...)
posted by hal9k at 1:26 PM on September 23, 2005


Hurricane Scorpions*, anyone?

Feh. I'm more amused by the eerily prescient name of a certain '80s band best known for "Walkin' on Sunshine."
posted by Johnny Assay at 1:48 PM on September 23, 2005


How about Hurricane Asshat? Hurricane Buck Fush? Hurricane Condi's New Shoes? Hurricane Turd Blossom? Hurricane Hurricane Hurricane?

I'd be more than happy to help provide some additional names. Just send me a check for $20 million and I'll get you all the names you need for the next fifty years.

Who wouldn't run screaming from Hurricane Cheney? I'd think the evacuations would start the instant that hurricane was named.
posted by fenriq at 1:53 PM on September 23, 2005


Hurricanes should all have stripper names.
posted by ColdChef at 1:58 PM on September 23, 2005


We should name them in a boring alphanumeric filing method. Hurricane A98-EK22C pummels the Florida coast line!
posted by TwelveTwo at 1:58 PM on September 23, 2005


Run. Here comes Hurricane Mistee Mountains.
posted by ColdChef at 2:00 PM on September 23, 2005


Hurricane Beta is now available - click to download.

Please note that technical support is not available for beta version products.
posted by ToasT at 2:24 PM on September 23, 2005


I think we should switch to verb names.

I recommend Hurricanes Attack, Bash, Clober, Damage, Ebb, Flaten, Grab, Harm, Impale, Jostle, Languish, Murder, Nominate, Offend, Punch, Quarter, Ravish, Stomp, Torture, Undertake, Vanish, Warplan, Xtinguish, and Zap, to start with.
posted by delmoi at 2:25 PM on September 23, 2005


Oh, and how about Hurricane Typhoon?
posted by delmoi at 2:27 PM on September 23, 2005


How about we just use last names instead of first names?
posted by TwelveTwo at 2:31 PM on September 23, 2005


If Katrina is going to get retired, I propose that designation be changed to Hurricane Kittens.
posted by PurplePorpoise at 2:40 PM on September 23, 2005


it would really suck to be named Katrina right now

Katrinas agree.

A spokesman from the World Meteorological Organization in Geneva, which issues names of hurricanes based on an alphabetical list that rotates annually and repeats every six years, did not respond to messages, but Stu Ostro, a senior meteorologist at The Weather Channel, said the world body was unlikely to change the system, which started in 1953. Experts had found that just giving storms numbers or locations was confusing.

"The goal is to give valuable information clearly that can help save lives," Ostro said. "Maybe that's some solace the people named Camille or Katrina or Charley or Ivan can take."


See, I figure they're getting away with it by choosing names around 400th in popularity. Now if only they'd get a Jacob or Emily up there, we'd have a lobby ....

Snark. There actually was an Emily this year.
posted by dhartung at 3:09 PM on September 23, 2005


I'm not the first to say it, but was global warming responsible in 1933 as well? There seem like there were a lot of big hurricanes in the first half of the 1930s. (Too lazy to rtfa on the Beeb)
posted by Eideteker at 5:15 PM on September 23, 2005


I have a niece named Katrina. She's not amused.
posted by deborah at 6:37 PM on September 23, 2005


Actualy, they should give hurricanes "Mean" names, I mean, who'd be afraid of a hurricane named "Katrina"? But Hurricane Kill or Hurricane Rage? People would get the fuck out of the way.

Perhaps they could compromise and give the storms last names if they get retireable. For example, Katrina could become Katrina Kill, and Rita Rita Rage.
posted by delmoi at 10:39 PM on September 23, 2005


delmoi, not Rita Repulsa?
posted by watsondog at 6:59 PM on September 24, 2005


Hello Tropical Storm ALPHA.
posted by smackfu at 8:06 PM on October 22, 2005


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